WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- U.S. forces in Afghanistan will leave when Afghan forces are able to prevent the country from being a center for extremists, the U.S. defense secretary said.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates an interview with al-Jazeera outlined his objectives for the war effort in Afghanistan.
Military strategists are reviewing the progress of a revamped campaign in Afghanistan that stresses reconstruction and national capabilities as part of a broad-based counterinsurgency doctrine.
A pending assessment by top military generals comes on the heels of the deadliest month for U.S. military forces in Afghanistan and a growing weariness with war among Americans.
Gates recognized the frustration but said he was "confident the American people will sustain their commitment to help the Afghan people."
Afghans, for their part, have expressed distrust stemming from the legacy of colonialism in their country.
Gates stressed, however, that the American commitment to Afghanistan was a durable one that gives Afghans the opportunity to advance their own national interests.
"What our interest is, is in giving the Afghan people the capacity to protect its own people and to prevent Afghanistan from being a center for violent extremists again," he said. "And then we'll leave."
